Community Magazine August 2017

22 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE his “handiwork.” He is guilty of a form of idolatry, regardless of how long he spent praying the Amidah that morning, or how many passages of Tosafot he studied. Worshipping the Dust of Our Feet Our sages warn us of this formof idolatry in theMidrash’s famous comments regarding the three angels who visited Avraham Avinu. As we read in Sefer Beresheet (18), the three angels appeared to Avraham as ordinary wayfarers, and Avraham excitedly ran over to them and invited them in, offering them water so they could wash their feet. While this offer seems straightforward, the Midrash gives a surprising, and puzzling, interpretation. The Midrash writes that there were people at that time who would worship the dust on their feet, and Avraham assumed that these travelers practiced this peculiar form of paganism. Not wanting objects of pagan worship in his home, he offered them water so they would rinse the dust off their feet before entering his property. What kind of people would worship dust or dirt? Why would anybody think to look at the dirt on his feet as a divine being? Undoubtedly, the Midrash is teaching us a deep lesson. Businessmen, especially in ancient times, before the advent of modern communication, spent a great deal of time traveling to buy and sell their wares. The “religion” the Midrash refers to is the “religion” that is, unfortunately, so prevalent in our society – the “worship” of one’s hard work and effort. It is the religion that believes that a person’s financial status depends solely on his “feet,” on his work and acumen, and not on the Almighty. Our sages teach that if we want to enter Avraham’s home, if we want to bear his legacy and follow his teaching, we need to rinse the dust off our feet. We need to understand that our hard work is important but not the actual source of our financial success. As important as it is to work hard for a living, it is equally important to recognize that our wealth ultimately depends on Gd. This might also be the meaning of Rashi’s famous comments at the beginning of Parashat Ekev, in explaining the Torah’s promise of great reward in exchange for our observance of Gd’s laws. Commenting on the word “ ekev ,” Rashi writes that the Torah refers here to “ mitzvot sheha’adam dash ba’akavav – Commands that a person tramples on with his heels.” This is commonly understood as a reference to the laws of the Torah that are often neglected. Nowadays, this would mean things like avoiding lashon hara (negative speech about other people), and remaining silent and attentive during the repetition of the Amidah and during the Torah reading. Additionally, however, this may refer to the “dust of our feet,” to the proper perspective on our material pursuits. If we ensure not to worship the “dust,” and we recognize that our livelihood depends on Gd, then we will earn His blessing. The Torah assures us that if we put in a hard day’s work with the understanding that Gd alone determines the success of our work, then He will grant us the success and prosperity that we desire. Dedicated in memory of the pure neshamot of the Sassoon children (718) 338-3452 | INFO@PARTYSTEM.COM | WWW.PARTYSTEM.COM Book your Event Today! SATISFYING CLIENTS FOR OVER 10 years WE WILL COME TO YOUR AFFAIR AND PROVIDE ALL SUPPLIES INCLUDING SETUP, CLEAN UP, AND AN ATTENDANT ON SITE DURING YOUR EVENT. Planning an Event ? TRI-STATE AREA DELIVERY • KOSHER CERTIFIED • HASSLE FREE SERVICE Chocolate Fountain | Smores Bar | Donut Wall | Candy Cart | Ice Cream Station Champaign Fountain | Cotton Candy | Sno Cone | Popcorn Machine | Donut Machine LED Gourmet Popcorn | Gourmet Nut Display | LED Smores Bar | Chocolate Display | LED Up-Lighting